


Blood Offering

by cmk418



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-27
Updated: 2008-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28208418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmk418/pseuds/cmk418
Summary: Something still haunts River and she's looking for forgiveness
Relationships: Jayne Cobb/River Tam
Kudos: 1





	Blood Offering

Strong fingers gripped her wrist. “You wanna tell me why you’re in here?”

“Blood was spilled. Amends need to be made.”

He opened his eyes, looking down to where her fingers rested. He let her hand go and she returned to tracing the scar that she’d made years ago. Before Ariel. “Past is past. No need to bring it up again.”

“Always there. He looks at it and knows what she can do. She wants to move beyond, but can’t. Because it’s always there.”

“That’s all nice and good, but still don’t explain why you’re here.”

“In some traditions, one can only receive forgiveness for the spilling of blood by offering one’s own.”

“I’ve caused you to bleed a time or two. Just last week when we sparred...”

“You elbowed me in the nose. Blood was not freely offered.”

“I’m not going to stab you, Crazy. Not that I never thought of the idea, just that I ain’t exactly fond of takin’ long walks in the Black.”

“There is another way.” She sat down on the edge of the mattress, moving her fingertips over his chest. “It’s said that when a woman experiences intercourse for the...”

Jayne nearly leapt off the bed and moved as far away from her as he could. “No ruttin’ way.”

“Well then...” She pulled his knife from the spot it hung on the wall, ran her tongue against it as she’d seen him do.

 _Damn, if that wasn’t the most erotic thing he’d ever seen._ He shifted in place – the shorts he’d been sleeping in suddenly were a bit tight. “That ain’t fair, girlie. What you’re askin’... I got reservations. First off, that brother of yours would do some bloodlettin’ of his own. Second is that one-way express pass out the airlock. Thirdly, I’m not used to bein’ with inexperienced...” His words died on his lips as she set the knife aside and pulled her nightgown over her head, revealing her naked body. She rearranged herself on the bed, back against the headboard with her feet curled under her as she regarded him.

She leaned forward and patted the spot on the mattress in front of her in invitation.

“Fourth,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Fourth?” She was surprised he could come up with this many excuses.

“I’m not sure this is gonna work the way you want it to.”

“Explain.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his, tracing the veins of her wrist with his thumb. “Well, between the experimentin’ they did at that Academy, and all the ballet dancing you do ‘round here, not to mention that fight the other day when you...”

“Oh,” she blushed, realizing what he was saying to her.

“Nothin’ to be ashamed of. It happens. But the thing is... it might not happen here. Tonight. I just wanted you to know that. Before we...”

“Thank you.” She ducked her head, curling more into herself, hiding behind the curtain of her hair.

“Hey,” he whispered, reaching over and lifting her head so he could look at her. At the moment, her eyes were so big, so innocent. Little girl eyes in a woman’s body. If she asked again, he felt like he wouldn't be able to deny her. He bent down to the floor and picked up her nightgown, holding it out to her. “Maybe you should...”

She took the gown from him, then pulled it over her head. She scooted off the bed, standing in front of him. “I just wanted...”

He pushed her hair away from her face, holding his hand against her cheek. “It’s okay. Besides, if that’s the way the tradition goes, all you had to do was offer, which you did, and maybe that’s enough.”

“Is it?”

“It is for me.”

She leaned forward with a quick press of her lips against his, then began climbing the ladder before he could completely respond. Halfway up she stopped and grinned at him, “Jayne?”

“Yeah, River?”

“Was there a fifth?”

He smiled back at her, letting the silence stretch between them until her feet continued up the ladder and the hatch was securely closed behind her. Lying back on the bed, one arm stretched behind his head, he whispered, “No.”  



End file.
